If I understand your explanation, the trim clips on the upper rear quarters should be accessable from inside the trunk. Possible someone re attached the clips with say Pop rivets? If so they can usually be drilled out.

Paul

Ron;

Trim clips can be tricky. In my case, I took pictures of the clips in place  so that when I removed them, I would know what goes where. The clips on the ends of the stinless trim are different than the rest (at least it was this way on my Customline). The clips fit into a square hole that was punched at the factory and calking was used to keep water out of the inside of the panels. I used 3M strip calk around each of the new clips I installed to help keep water out. None of the clips I used had any type of rivet, but some (at the ends of fender panels) used threaded studs and nuts.

Hope this helps

Rono 

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Tee-Bird.com sells complete replacement clip kits.If it was me I would remove all the old attaching parts before repainting and use new ones to put it back together.

  

I'm getting my '56 Ford Club Sedan ready for paint and I just removed the long stainless fender pieces that run from the tail lights to the rear of the doors.  Now I don't know whether to replace the large clips that held these stainless pieces in place, or leave them on the body during painting and reuse them during re-assembly.  The reason I ask is there doesn't appear to be an easy way to remove them as they appear to be held in place with something resembling a rivet.  On the one hand I'd like to remove them so I can paint behind them and install fresh, tighter-fitting clips, but on the other hand I don't know how best to remove all those rivets and re-attach the new clips over fresh paint, etc.  I would really appreciate hearing from forum members who've been through this before.  Thank you, Ron.